GOOD THINKING

Robbie Bent and his 4 co-founders didn’t just build a wellness brand—they've built an emotional experience people cry in (literally). In this episode, we go deep on the origin and evolution of Othership: how it went from backyard ice baths to a multisensory space where people breathe, feel, and transform. We talk about building a 100-year brand, the power of consistent design, why vulnerability is...

This week, we’re breaking down the wildest, weirdest brand campaigns making noise — and what they say about where marketing is headed. From a tween tantrum turned Toblerone ad to OpenAI’s cringe-core collab with Jony Ives, we’ve got thoughts. Skip to the bits you fancy! 04:31 — TOBLE MELTDOWN A tween tantrum goes viral in an airport. Turns out to be a Toblerone ad. Smart or triggering? We get into...

This week, we’re talking to one of the most interesting thinkers on LinkedIn: Jasmine Bina. We got deep into how shame is the final frontier for brands, and what it takes to reframe our most deeply held beliefs. Skip to the bits you fancy! 04:35 — THE SHAME REFRAME // Why shame is valuable for brands and how it’s about reframing the story — not just taboo busting. 08:05 — CHANGING THE STORY // How...

Now, the newness continues. As I mentioned, rather than a weekly companion podcast, we’re going to do a monthly round-up of 4 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up. We’re not calling these trends. That’s way too heavy for a month’s worth of content. These are GOOD SIGNS. Signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply, what we’re finding interesting i...

Substack is the new shiny penny in brand marketing—but done wrong, it can do more harm than good. In this episode, we get into how brands can actually use it well: what’s working, what to watch out for, and what too many are getting wrong. We’re talking strategy, good examples, and the insights everyone seems to be searching for. Skip to the bits you fancy. 03:01 What’s Substack? // A primer on th...

In this inaugural series episode 'HOW GOOD GETS GOOD', we talk to Moot, a new model for youth hospitality. A membership club created by teenagers, for teenagers. We talk about why Moot started, the enormous appetite from tweens, teens, and parents for spaces like this, and what other brands should know about building for the oft misunderstood Alpha. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy...

This special edition of GOOD THINKING WEEKLY unpacks the 5 big lessons we learned on our inaugural live GOOD THINKING NYC TOUR. If you haven’t read the letter, it’s a good one. But rather than recapping the letter, we unpack our most important takeaways from the day. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy! 05:58 — The biggest themes from the tour—what kept showing up. 12:06 — Intentional...

Hi all, Welcome back to our weekly companion podcast to the Sunday letter. We get deeper into the big hits across every category. And unpack them further. I’m playing with the formatting of these podcast emails to see if we like them better. Let me know what you think! Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy! * 2:20 — Why pricing isn’t just about affordability anymore—it’s about perceptio...

Hi all, Welcome back to the podcast! We’re breaking the typical companion podcast cadence this week with a fun Milan Design Week 2025 edition . I was in town for a couple of days and wanted to share everything I saw and a few other bits and pieces I didn’t catch that are worth knowing about. As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands. This week is no different there. Qui...

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: Frida is freeing the cracked nipple. And fighting back against being censored. Buffalo Wild Wings fumbled a winning idea. We need to give Gen Z a rest, not a ‘restival’. Set Active turned a mistake into a memorable brand moment. AI is turning brands into ‘vibe marketers’. It’s an opportunity and a danger. Food is the new sports medicine. Tower 28 gives us a master clas...

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: Frida is freeing the cracked nipple. And fighting back against being censored. Buffalo Wild Wings fumbled a winning idea. We need to give Gen Z a rest, not a ‘restival’. Set Active turned a mistake into a memorable brand moment. AI is turning brands into ‘vibe marketers’. It’s an opportunity and a danger. Food is the new sports medicine. Tower 28 gives us a master clas...

This week, we also have two fun things added to the mix. 1) Friend of the letter and CPG expert Fred Hart joined us to discuss what he saw at Expo West and what brands should be thinking about 2) Kirsten gives us an awesome insight-packed take on what she saw at SxSW. Takeaway-heavy this week! As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands. THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: * Tik...

Hi all, Welcome back to our weekly companion podcast to the Sunday letter. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy! I’m coming to SF (March 11-15), LA (March 17-19), and NYC (April 1-5). Let’s connect! I’m planning a GOOD THINKING NYC TOUR April 3RD . What’s on the tour? We’ll hit something in every category of this letter. Culture, Food & Bev, Drugs & Booze…you get it. It will be the bes...

Hi all, Welcome back to our weekly companion podcast to the Sunday letter. Hit the links to skip to what strikes your fancy! I’m coming to SF (March 11-15), LA (March 17-19) and NYC (April 1-5). Let’s connect! As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands. THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: * Every brand is misbehaving. And it works because it’s human. * Luxury brands are all in...

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: * Duolingo’s mascot is “dead”—but is it really? * Severance is world-building—naturally. * Poppi’s real miss? Not understanding today’s consumer. * Non-alcoholic beers are coming out of their ‘less than’ mindset * Is On onto something, or are they lost? * Why brands need to understand traditional demographics are dead * Is B Corp in a credibility crisis? Yep. But it’s...

THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: * Fans are coming for the content and paying for the community * Move over shoppy-shop, hype-grocer is here * Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl ad is ultra good * Gen-Alpha aren’t just digital-natives; their AI-natives * Thom Browne and Doechii are the perfect couple * Open AI should have asked ChatGPT how to make a good ad * The Open changing the golf game * Freaks of Natur...

As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands. Diving deeper and unpacking our favorite bits of the Sunday letter. THIS WEEK’S PODCAST EPISODE: 01:36 — CANCELING CANCEL CULTURE 05:08 — INSTANT FIX FOR INSTACART Michael Abata’s post 12:39 — OG or 0 GRAMS Kellogg’s latest Surreal’s posted a rebuttal ad Tony Chocolonely's hot take on Cadbury’s ad 16:29 —HIMS & HERS U OK? We’re...

THIS WEEK: * Brand activism’s reboot * Even Frida Baby is misbehaving * Metamucil’s fear will be their undoing * Ingredients still matter * A cause I didn’t ask for: AI & retail * Fantastic photography’s revival * Bryan Johnson: crazy but onto something * Travel is full-sensory * Design shows like Maison & Objet are staging a comeback As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and...

As always, this pod dives into the biggest trends, shifts, and brands today. We dive deeper and unpack our favorite bits of this Sunday letter. This week we get into: * Coors’ campaign messaging mayhem * The hormone trend at CES * ‘Longevity Dads’ * Veo’s brilliant campaign * The power of the female sports fan * A case for cricket cracking the US market * Bode’s deleted Super Bowl posts * Lime bik...

Hi, This letter comes to you with an ultra-heavy heart. Kirsten, my business partner, is based in Venice (she’s ok), and I lived there for nearly a decade. We know these communities that have been destroyed, we have friends whose homes are gone. To all our LA-based readers, we are holding you in our hearts. I asked Kirsten if she wanted to do the podcast, and in typical fashion, she said yes. But...

Hello, And happy final email of the year! Welcome to the inaugural issue of GOOD YEAR: my predictions for the year ahead. A list of what brands should be watching in 2025. Unlike a typical issue, most of these links lead back to past GOOD THINKING issues so you can dive deeper into each topic. It’s a rabbit hole wonderland. Each prediction comes with a counter-prediction: the pendulum swing . Thes...

This week on the pod there are a lot of hot takes: * Advent calendar—the trend that hasn’t peaked. * Taco Bell’s theme park attraction photobooth, and why it’s clever * Spotify Wrapped: time to wrap it up? * Pinterest Predicts: love it and why it feels a bit different this year. * Liquid Death x Depend collab—Is this the start of something great for Depend? * AG-1’s airport vending machine is just...

Morning, This week on the pod: * Holiday campaigns are emotional and human this year—more than usual? * The messy middle—where many brands are getting stuck and why. * Botox is now a beauty treatment and the overall reframing of healthcare that’s happening. * Why Amazon’s BoyRoom sponsorship is so genius—the explainer. * Eileen Fisher: Great brand, terrible fit for Gen-Z. And what would make more...

This week on the pod we did things a little differently—still experimenting to find the best value. More topics. More fun. * Walmart's wellness strategy and repositioning * Barbie-fication of movies * The gap between Gap’s great marketing and its experience * NueCo’s questionable claims * Why Louis Vuitton’s scaffolding trick feels new again * The enormous potential for Yeti and some potential pit...

This week we dive into two brands that gave me a smile during a dark hour. Calm and Slack. AdWeek's, F ive Takeaways From Calm's Election Night Ad , T.L Stanley Calm's ad Slack's notification Get full access to GOOD THINKING at ingoodco.substack.com/subscribe